Jerky Slicer On The Cheap

Not sure where my meat slicer is....my son says I loaned it out, my daughter says my wife sold it at the garage sale (probably accurate) .  So until I determine what the deal is I needed something.  I cant stand the slices of venison to be inconsistent when making jerky.  I like it all dried evenly with no gooey spots or hard as a bone spots either so....

I found this tomato slicer.  You will need to uses smaller hunks of meet, but you do get around 8 slices per cut and the cost was $6 at wally world.  Its cheap and consistent, but, slow.  

The kids like the smaller pieces and I think it dried a bit faster?   

Become The Arrow

 This week I read "Become the Arrow" by Byron Ferguson.  If your new to Traditional Archery, I would encourage you to read it.  Byron is the successor of the great archer Howard Hill.  Along with Archery he writes about the craft of bow building and offers some tips on deer hunting.

  

Become The Arrow should be every Archers philosophy in my mind

I decided to put my skills to work.  As you can see, I need practice.  Anyway, this dude is 4" wide and razor sharp.  The idea is to sever the head from the neck...saving all the meat on the bird.   I pounded some dowl rods in the ground and topped them with Styrofoam cups.  I did pretty well up to 15yard.  The tips are very heavy.  Obtaining consistancy at distances great that 15 yard was practically impossible.  

I know there a bit odd but I had a blast making them.  I know my limits and will approach the hunting situation with caution and make a wise decision as to  not to use them.. If I can get a bird within 10 yards I will deploy.Wish me luck Chuck

Well, The birds stayed at about 35 yards the entire time...maybe next time.

Solar/ Lunar For Today

Draw Distance And Anchor Point

So today I worked with my son quite a bit on his form. One of his challenges is his anchor point. I think, he is over drawing on some and under drawing the bow on others creating one heck of a inconsistent anchor resulting in inconsistent arrow placement.

After pondering a while, I concluded with a string attached to the handle at one end and to the bow string above the knock at the opposite end.

I had him draw the bow, anchor at the corner of his mouth with his middle finger touching his K9, with a straight arm and tight back. I then measured the distance between the handle and intended anchor point.

The first round of arrows was worse. He was focusing on the string rather than the target. After a few more rounds he became familiar with it and brought his group in considerably.

I will try this for a week or so and then remove it. Hopefully this will help with muscle memory and stick.

Chuck

String Walking

Best explained definition I could find  "String-walking is a shooting/aiming style often called barebow intternationally. it is used for those distances from 30' to point on three under. you draw and release the string form a point down under the arrow nocking part. that distance down the string is relative to the distance and called the crawl. the close the distance the deeper the crawl see inst graphic."
Amazing how well this works at 12 yards or less. I Shoot three fingers under.  When I approached the target today I tried moving my fingers down about an inch, bringing my arrow just below my eye.  At 12 yards I was able to hit a quarter.   WOW...Super excited.  This is a big step for me.

Chuck

Shooting glove

 Today I noticed an error in my shooting.  I noticed that after 3 or 4 rounds I would start to drift around the spot I was aiming for.  I realized my glove was working loose, allowing slack in my finger tips.  When I tightened the strap I saw improvement immediately.  So, I decided to try something new.  I wrapped the string below the arrow knocking point with Remington’s mole cloth.

I shot 4 rounds of 12 arrows.  After the 3rd I noticed my finger slowly becoming soar. I also saw an increase in accuracy.  Shooting straight fingers (without glove) gave me a solid anchor every shot. 

The main issue will most likely be in string speed or lack of.  This may have a negative impact on the arrow speed.  I will try it for a day or so and see.

Chuck

CC

Ease of Access

Ok, I created this site outside of my website due to the of mobile updates/post via my phone ( please excuse typos. 

Im not a typical blogger. Most of the post will be quick, short, and most likely will pertain to archey. Kinda like a diary I reckon.

Chuck

Beef Jerky

Okay, So here is my jerky recipe....

• 5lb of lean beef 
• 1 bottle of Dales original seasoning 
• 1 cup of Louisiana hot sauce 
• 1/4 cup ground black pepper 

I like to use the Beef Round Eye Round Roast, the fat will be on the top and easily trimmed off. It is pretty cheap also, I paid $18 for five pounds. I request that the butcher cuts it in 1/4" slices (no mess for me) with the slicer. I mix all the ingredients in a bowl without the meat. I separate the meat into three gallon bags and then fill each bag equally with the mixed ingredients. I use three bags because I have different levels of heat. So mark them with a sharpie and add additional hot sauce or pepper. Place in the fridge for 24 hrs.



I use a dehydrator rather than an oven or smoker. After 24 hrs of soaking I place the meat on the racks. It’s important that the meat does not overlap. After a hour or so I will alternate the racks from top to bottom. After the third hour I like to flip the meat. Then I leave it for two or three more ours without bother. Into the sixth hour I will pull the racks and start checking to see what is done.

Press on the meat and check the firmness. As an example...press on the palm of your hand closes to your lifeline at the bottom. Notice how it pops back, if your jerky does this it not ready . You can also bend the meat, if it cracks and you see whitish paper like material it’s done. I don't like to break every piece.

Experiment with this and let me know how your jerky comes out.

Moon Phase Deer Hunting

Moon Phase Deer Hunting 

Much of the research that has been done on this subject has involved hunting deer, and many hunters swear that hunting by moon phase is the only way to accurately predict deer activity. 

But the moon doesn't only have an impact on deer activity. The various phases of the moon also seem to have a direct effect on deer mating patterns, which in turn make them easier to locate. It's because of this that moon phase deer hunting -- as it's becoming commonly known -- is quickly gaining acceptance. 

Being aware of when the breeding season begins helps to determine travel patterns and areas of increased deer activity. When the breeding season is at its peak, finding deer is easier and finding more than one in a particular area more likely. 

So what does this have to do with the moon? A female deer's reproductive cycle is influenced by the different phases of the moon, and peaks in the three or four days surrounding the second full moon after the autumnal equinox. When the does are in heat, the bucks begin rubbing and scraping in an attempt to attract them. If you know when the full moon occurs, you can be at the right spot, at the right time, and have the best chance for success, luring the bucks into your site.

By being aware of the different moon phases, deer hunting can be far more successful. But not only that, it can also help you figure out when not to hunt. You aren't going to be successful after the deer have mated and even the phase when the bucks are chasing the does can be pretty fruitless. 

By becoming familiar with these patterns and planning ahead, hunting by moon phase will almost certainly lead to your best hunting season ever.

New Moon: rises at sunrise and sets at sunset

Full Moon: rises at sunset and sets at sunrise

First Quarter Moon: rises at noon and sets at midnight

Last Quarter Moon: rises at midnight and sets at noon

The best time to of the month to hunt is on a full moon.  There will be three feeding times during the day.  Another great time is when the moon is directly over head (my Dad swears by this and it works with fishing). you will have a two ours, one before and one after.

 If your thinking "well, I hunt the rut", don't be fooled.  The does are not affected by the rut only by there peak in estrus. So the bucks will follow the does when they go to feed.  

Small feed will happen 30 minutes before a moon rise and run 20 or 30 minutes past. The same goes for moon set.  A full moon will create poor hunting because the feeding times are in the nigh time ours.  When your in the stand they are nested under a tree all warm & cosy. 

 Find a lunar chart and map your hunts.